Pune’s IT Hub Hinjawadi Struggles with Electricity Outages, Residents Demand Solutions

Reported By Varad Bhatkhande

Hinjawadi, 29th July 2024: Problems for residents of the ‘Information Technology (IT) Hub’ Hinjawadi are increasing day by day. Issues regarding water supply, roads, and traffic are frequently reported. However, since the onset of the monsoon, electricity outages have become a common issue.

Currently, residents all over Pune are experiencing power outages, and citizens are expressing frustration with the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL). In Bhoirwadi (Hinjawadi Phase 3), the situation is particularly dire, with claims that electricity is unavailable for 7 to 8 hours daily on average since the start of the monsoon.

These power outages have resulted in a waste of resources for the citizens here. They have to pay for generators, which is not practical. The area, dominated by IT employees, suffers along with their children who are unable to study. There are disruptions in cooking, and it is a major inconvenience for “Work From Home” (WFH) employees, who are under stress due to the unreliable electricity supply.

Housing societies such as Melange Residences, Rama Fusion Towers, Tinsel Town, Kohinoor Coral, LivMo, 32 Pinewood Drive, and other societies, including some nearby villages, accommodate more than 7,000 families. These residents recently voiced their concerns to Punekar News.

Abhishek, a resident of Melange Residences, said, “The power outage situation has been ongoing ever since we shifted here. It has not been solved for the past 6 or 7 years. Societies in our area collectively had to spend approximately ₹90,000 in the past week alone to operate essential amenities like lifts, highlighting the financial burden these power cuts impose. MSEDCL officials don’t respond to us. Societies like Megapolis and EON Homes, which are just a shout away from us, have no problems compared to us.”

A resident of Kohinoor Coral said, “The electricity goes off continuously. Yesterday, there was no electricity the whole night, and it came back today at 7 AM. This situation is constant. Our society has to pay Rs 3,000 per day to operate essential amenities. Due to the lack of electricity, we cannot even supply water from ground tanks to tanks on terraces. Our builder had promised a separate connection, but to this day, we have to use the same connection as everyone else.”

Manik Rathod, Executive Engineer, Mulshi, MSEDCL, told Punekar News, “For the past few days, there have been heavy cloudburst-like rains. Due to this, the electricity supply has been disrupted. This has not happened before. In some parts, we have cut off the electricity supply at times as a precautionary measure, especially in areas with water logging issues. Once the rains slow down, there won’t be any problems.”